OPELOUSAS, LA – Police in Opelousas have arrested the parents of a two-month-old girl who died after allegedly suffering horrific abuse and neglect, including injuries that ultimately proved fatal.
Emergency teams responded to a home on North Liberty Street on the morning of October 25 after receiving a report of a medical emergency involving an infant. First responders found the baby girl unresponsive. Despite attempts to revive her at the scene, and further efforts by paramedics at a nearby hospital, the child died shortly after her arrival at the medical facility.
An autopsy conducted by the coroner revealed extensive injuries signaling ongoing mistreatment, according to police reports. The child was found to have multiple broken ribs in various stages of healing, signifying repeated trauma. In addition, the infant had been severely dehydrated and malnourished, and suffered from a severed lower spine that caused internal bleeding, which the medical examiner determined to be the cause of death.
Investigators identified the girl’s parents, Taylor Daniel Broussard and Kaylee Fontenot, as the primary suspects. Authorities noted that the infant had been solely in their care since birth.
Following a swift investigation by Opelousas officers and the department’s Special Operations Division, Fontenot was apprehended on Friday. Broussard turned himself in several days later, police said. Both are now being held at the St. Landry Parish Jail facing charges that include first-degree murder, cruelty to a juvenile, and second-degree battery.
Officials have not yet announced when the two will make their first court appearance. The investigation, according to police, remains in its early stages as authorities work to piece together the circumstances leading up to the child’s death.
Police are urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward, emphasizing the need for community support during the ongoing investigation.
The tragic loss has left both investigators and the community shaken, as the details of the infant’s suffering continue to emerge through the autopsy findings and police inquiries.
As the case continues, law enforcement officials say they will persist in their efforts to fully understand the timeline and nature of the abuse, while striving to secure justice for the victim.